BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2344
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Date of Hearing: April 6, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Marty Block, Chair
AB 2344 (Nielsen) - As Introduced: February 19, 2010
SUBJECT : Nursing: approved schools.
SUMMARY : Would redefine "institution of higher education" for
the purposes of Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approval of
schools of nursing to include community colleges and private
postsecondary institutions offering an associate of arts or an
associate of science degree; and would clarify that a nursing
school that is not an "institution of higher education" may
affiliate with an institution of higher education offering
either an associate of arts or an associate of science degree to
individuals who graduate from the nursing school.
EXISTING LAW : Provides for the licensure and regulation of
registered nurses by BRN and requires BRN to establish a list of
approved nursing schools. Defines an approved school as an
institution of higher education or school that is affiliated
with an institution of higher education that offers an associate
of arts degree to individuals that graduate from the affiliated
nursing school. Provides that an "institution of higher
education" includes a community college that offers an
associates degree.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Purpose of this bill : According to the author,
current law is ambiguous as to whether a college that offers an
associate of science degree can be approved for a nursing
program by BRN. The author argues that this ambiguity led to
Cambridge Junior College, a private college accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Independent Colleges and Schools,
being denied feasibility review for a nursing program by BRN
because the college offers an associate of sciences degree but
not an associate of arts degree. The author argues that this
bill is intended to clarify that a higher education institution
offering an associate of arts and/or an associate of sciences
degree, or school affiliated with such an institution that meets
with other established requirements, may become approved for
nursing schools by BRN.
AB 2344
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Background and Legislative Counsel's opinion : As noted above,
existing law does not define an "institution of higher
education" but provides that the term includes community
colleges offering associate degrees. Additionally, existing law
requires that a school that is not an "institution of higher
education" that seeks to offer a nursing program make an
agreement with an institution of higher education to grant an
associate of arts degree, or a baccalaureate degree if
appropriate, to individuals who graduate from the nursing
program. In "Registered Nursing: Approved Schools - #0924356"
Legislative Counsel Bureau opined that a private postsecondary
institution offering an associate of sciences degree may qualify
as an "institution of higher education" for the purposes of
approval of a nursing program by BRN, notwithstanding the fact
that the institution does not have an associate of arts degree.
BRN response : While the aforementioned Legislative Counsel
opinion indicates that existing law should not preclude an
institution offering solely an associates of sciences degree
from becoming an approved nursing school, Committee staff
conversations with BRN staff indicate that BRN believes
clarification to existing law is needed in order to ensure that
institutions offering solely associates of science degrees can
become approved nursing schools.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on File
Opposition
None on File
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960